Elissa Gibbs on the very nice I’ve Got A Star, currently lying 3rd in Open Prelim Div 3. She also leads the Training Horse Division on Predestined.
It’s hard to know where to start with this year’s Keeneland Pony Club Jump Start Horse Trials. With the fantastic organisation that had cross country running bang on time, if not five to ten minutes early from 8 o clock this morning until 5 o clock this afternoon? With the ridiculously unseasonal cold? With how impressed I was by some of the junior and young riders, and what a pleasure it was to see them out in force, so well mounted, and well-turned out? Well that’s my first paragraph, so far so good!
Two of the Junior Beginner Novice Riders waiting to show-jump
Woods Baughman on Truckee Bash, Jr Novice
In what’s becoming a trademark move, I’ve captured tons of great cross country on video, but can’t seem to transfer it onto my computer. In one of the first signs of madness, I’ve spent the last hour repeating the same steps over and over again in the vain hope it might work, but until I have the mental strength to tackle it again later, I’m going to post the few photos I took and give you some scores.
Robin Walker managed to ride six horses round the prelim xc this morning, all clear, and leads in two of the three divisions. Jesslyn Woodall, daughter of course-builder Wes prevails in the third section, after a fantastic clear cross country within the time, adding nothing to her first placed dressage score. EN Galloping vet Chris Newton is busy with two rides as well as working the show in an official capacity,and currently sits in 8th place after cross country on Antebellum Jewel in the prelim. However Dr Newton is no longer the only vet holding the esteemed EN title, Dr Laura Werner, who I spoke to about stem cell therapy for my article on Jessie Phoenix’s Exploring, has discovered a cure for Silver Spring’s allergies to bluegrass, (Platinum Performance Skin and Allergy) and she now sits handily in 5th place after cross country in the training division.
The MickCostellomobile of choice for today. Sadly you’re unable to see the leopardskin print steering wheel cover, or the driver, who as usual was busy attending to a jump. We did chat for a little while, one of the highlights of my day, and Mick filled me in on some of the details on the driving that’s going to take place next week here at the park which sounds like a lot of fun if you can make it. Also, condolences to Mick’s wife Sheila who wasn’t feeling well today, EN hopes she feels better soon but Mick told me his dog Nelly was at home looking after her!
Kara Andrew’s connection taking a picture.
I am partial to a good-looking coloured horse. This pair were warming up for prelim cross-country this morning, and Mary Fike and I agreed that the turquoise looked really good with the black and white. The prelim time was hard to get, and so time faults were influential in teh final shake-up. Incidentally, Mary is of course the organiser of the Hagyard Midsouth Three Day coming up in a few weeks time, and has had to turn people away. Many of the helpers and volunteers who help Jump Start run so smoothly will be back to do double duty,it’s impossible to thank them enough, especially on long, cold windy days like today! I’m very glad to report though, that the rumours were confirmed (Thanks, Leigh-Anne!), lunch was indeed provided by DeSha’s and was much appreciated, I did overhear one jump judge exclaim it far outdid Rolex!
More black in cross country warm-up. I saw several really nice combinations in the prelim this morning, very encouraging.
Spotted outside the announcer’s booth – Giles Rowsell did a fantastic job all day!
At first I thought this rider had perhaps forgotten her show jacket, or was so cold that she’d asked permission to ride in a tracksuit top (?), but then I realised this IS her show jacket
This is her show jacket – what do you think?
How the Stadium ran to time all day – best entry gate crew evah!
Not a good day season for Wildcat football
Love that feeling, walking back from cross country comparing rides after a good round
Not an eventer, not the Derby winner, perhaps an Arab? We’re sharing the Horse Park this weekend with all sorts of shapes and sizes, and mostly doing a good job. Sunday starts bright and early with Novice and Beginner Novice cross-country at 8am, and the Prelim and Training Show-jumping also starting at 8am. I’m not sure if it’s the Keeneland connection but I was definitely noticing lots of racing paraphernalia on the eventing connections today – a Coolmore Jacket, an Awesome Again cap, a Breeders Cup cap and more, but apart from the actual Keeneland/Jump Start planks jump on the stadium course, funnily enough nothing from Keeneland itself! I did see quite a few OTTB’s, and had an interesting conversation with Lauren Lambert about how horses seem to take to eventing more easily after they’ve sometimes soured on other things – is it because as eventers we take more time, are better all round horsemen (!), and just more sympathetic to what our horses need, or is eventing a better life? Lauren has a nice warmblood mare that she’s selling that didn’t enjoy the jumper world, and while talking about her and watching some lovely TB’s jump stadium, that’s how we got started!
Also, while we’re discussing things – another friend of mine brought up something else I’ve been meaning to write about. Small dressage arenas: I know they save time, space and therefore money, but personally I would love to do all my tests from training onwards in a big arena.
For me, it’s a moot point, I can’t see myself doing any dressage tests in the near future; in fact this is the closest thing to an “ears photo” I can post today. Leo training Topper, who we’re looking after this weekend. It’s going well, although if I can’t upload the video before midnight I will cast the blame entirely on her slight, blonde shoulders!
Here are the scores that were posted before I left and I hope to bring you some video later. Thanks for reading. Go Keeneland (opening next week, yesss!), pony club, Jump Start, and eventing!
